Madlib is the new Prince, and Stones Throw is his vehicle. He’s so prolific it’s sometimes overwhelming, and while some tracks here are occasionally underwhelming, for the most part Madlib and his cohorts (Wildchild, label founder PB Wolf, Jay Dee, Dudley Perkins, MF Doom, and more) deliver strictly genius material. There are times on this compilation when the beats feel like they should have been left on the cutting room floor, the MCing should have been left to MCs rather than beatmakers, and the singing left to singers, not rappers. But those moments are balanced by some wow-that-shit-is-hot kind of beats. At the very least, this sampler lets you know things you must buy: Jaylib, Yesterday’s New Quintet and Madvillain (MF Doom), to start with.